Useful Gift idea for flight students who Know it all

[Phil Perry]

From an instructor friend. . .

 

 

 

[facthunter]

If you really think you need to, just get another. The other side of this is, the Instructor doesn't need to be your best friend. His /her job is to teach you to fly an aeroplane and sometimes that may mean saying something you may not wish to hear about your flying. Flying is one of the most "realistic" experiences you will ever have. It's not like play station or a game where you can cope easily with" Game over" and you can't (and should not try) to hide your weaknesses from scrutiny and correction. Your instructor should have abilities you respect and have confidence in and it should not be easy to be one. Nev

 

 

[derekliston]

If you really think you need to, just get another. The other side of this is, the Instructor doesn't need to be your best friend. His /her job is to teach you to fly an aeroplane and sometimes that may mean saying something you may not wish to hear about your flying. Flying is one of the most "realistic" experiences you will ever have. It's not like play station or a game where you can cope easily with" Game over" and you can't (and should not try) to hide your weaknesses from scrutiny and correction. Your instructor should have abilities you respect and have confidence in and it should not be easy to be one. Nev

On the other hand Nev, a student is paying a lot of money to learn to fly and so ought to be comfortable with the instructor. I have known good and bad instructors but only ever point blank refused to fly with one in England a lot of years ago.

 

 

[facthunter]

The subject was about argue, not discuss. Discussion leads to clarity and reduced confusion. I'm all for that. I've also heard of some instructors being quite short and rude with pupils, and I have experienced it first hand. I agree with you they don't pay money to be treated like that or have some show anger to them, EVER.

 

An instructor MUST be good at handling people who are very different and come from many different backgrounds and skills bases. especially in general aviation If you are matey with some and not others that's discrimination. You will have some that really click and some that don't so much but you must not show it. You have to put in the extra effort with some of the strugglers but it's not a race or a competition.

 

A "teacher" (I've been one) should have no favourites . Sometimes a flying student will be extra friendly and expect an easy run in return. I'm not saying it's deliberate always but it happens. Standards must be uniformly applied with no favours. The mateship can come later if it's real.. Over the years I've had many instructors and check people. There's a few I regard as "ordinary and nervous on a fine day" but mostly I'm more than satisfied with their performance and there's mutual respect.. Not everyone has the patience to be an instructor. Handling people is more challenging than flying planes. People are more complex than the most complex plane. Nev

 

 

[M61A1]

I'm with Derek on this one.

 

I'm thinking the mug may be a very useful tool.....if I walk into a flight school and the instructor has one, it's clear that I need to turn 180 and walk out the door.

 

 

[facthunter]

Like a lawyer's room with lawyer jokes . A bit weird.  Nev

 

 

[kaz3g]

The subject was about argue, not discuss. Discussion leads to clarity and reduced confusion. I'm all for that. I've also heard of some instructors being quite short and rude with pupils, and I have experienced it first hand. I agree with you they don't pay money to be treated like that or have some show anger to them, EVER.

 

I knew an instructor like that who used caustic criticism, abuse and derogatory comments to bolster his position. On a later trip as PIC with others on board he lost Broken Hill and had to land on a road in the dark. Hadn’t cancelled SAR, either!

 

Chickens do come home to roost!